[Avodah] Tamuz-Avodah Zarah-Mentioning Names only Asur if still Worshipped?

[Segal Ariel]

Hello everyone. I had a question about mentioning the
names of idolatrous deities. In the Artscroll
Mishnayot Avodah Zara, there is a footnote-I forget
where-that says that the issur only applies when the
avodah zara is still worshipped today. What is the
source for this?

[Also, given that there are still small groups of
neopagans that claim to worship ancient
Greek/Scandinavian deities, does that remove the
heter, if there is one, from mentioning them?]

This is not as relevant as it used to be for me, but
when I was a teaching assistant in history of science,
I would rely on this Artscroll footnote to say, for
instance "Thales of Miletus (an early philosopher)
held that the origin of the universe was from water,
not through Zeus..."

I am about to begin Masechet Avodah Zara in my Dirshu
class, and I was interested in any responses to this
question.

Kol tuv, 
Ariel Segal 



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